ADVERTISING FEATURE CELEBRATING WOMEN IN BUSINESS
DIGITAL WONDERWOMEN
In celebration of International Women ’ s Day , we ' re showcasing the talent of the wonder women in our Wonderlab .
DEBORAH FORTESCUE , Head of Client Services |
LAURA PINKSTONE Head of User Experience |
RACHEL PASSMORE Office Manager |
KIM HANNON Transformation Consultant |
Driving change , diversity and equality are things we do for our clients every day , relentlessly working on projects that help to change the world and the communities around us .
With women making up just 26 per cent of the tech workforce ( according to the latest Women in Tech Report ), the industry needs to do more to support gender equity , something we ’ re passionate about . We ’ re supporting this year ’ s theme of ‘ embrace equity ’ to actively drive change and help recruit more women into the tech space . We ’ re committed to driving diversity in the sector thorough our work with the Tech Talent Charter .
We ran a Q & A session with Deborah Fortescue our Head of Client Services , Laura Pinkstone our Head of User Experience , Rachel Passmore our Office Manager and Kim Hannon our Transformation Consultant . They have put together some insights on each other , how they work , their views on women in tech and how to drive the change .
Deborah , what inspires you about Laura ? Laura ’ s experience means that she understands the digital fears that many clients might have , the pitfalls many can fall foul of and despite knowing user behaviours scarily well , she never assumes anything until she starts testing . Laura takes the time to understand our clients ’ world and their pain points putting them at ease by sharing her knowledge .
She ’ s approachable and a great sounding board , making it easy for the team and our clients to ask for advice . Her forward thinking and strong focus on the deliverables is second to none ! Laura is a relentless , force of nature , is usually the first to get involved in the project and sees it through to the end .
We have a saying ‘ you get Laura for life ’ as she is always watching , questioning and checking in , long past go live .
Laura , what inspires you about Deborah ? Deborah is a great listener and keeps the
team and our clients on track . She goes above and beyond to bring energy , ideas and motivation to every project adapting quickly to tackle challenges .
She has a wealth of knowledge in different sectors and is a brilliant mentor . I love working with Deborah as we constantly collaborate , look at where we can do better and how we can improve our client ’ s worlds . She is a truly amazing person both in her work and personal life , definitely one of those people you inspire to be like !
Rachel , what inspires you about Kim ? Kim brings a team together . She just loves to deliver transformational change to her clients and motivates everyone in the Wonderlab . Her enthusiasm for what she does has a hugely positive impact on both .
She is excellent at explaining what we ’ re working on , clear in what she requires and inclusive . Kim loves what she does , is people focused and always up for a team challenge !
Kim , what inspires you about Rachel ? Rachel is the glue that holds us together and keeps the wheels of Digital Wonderlab turning seamlessly . She inspires us by being the metronome / heartbeat of the organisation in effortless fashion . She keeps us all on track so we can focus on our clients .
Rachel is also a silent process assassin – creating order from chaos to bring about
“ We ' re committed to driving diversity in the sector through our work with the Tech Talent Charter ”
effective and timely delivery of the day to day . She is sharp , efficient and funny – a great combo in a colleague !
Why do you think it ’ s important for women to join the tech industry ? Deborah : Because great tech is designed for users , so we need to make sure our voice is heard . Tech is part of every sector , every part of our life – so why wouldn ’ t women be part of tech ?
Rachel : It ’ s important that women feel able to join any industry and that there is accessibility . The tech industry needs to redefine and advertise the diverse roles that exist under the sector . Roles that many school leavers will not be aware of . It is also a sector that has roles women could retrain in and many transferable skills . We need more women in tech to create balance and variety in the industry .
Kim : Future tech needs to be built for all – if we don ’ t put our energy in to it now we will be left in the same position as medicine … designed by men for women with all the pitfalls that entails .
Laura : I think women bring balance to tech teams and provide a well-rounded view . We look at problems differently .
What does this year ' s IWD theme of ' embracing equity ' mean to you ? Deborah : It means turning up as yourself , secure in that what you have to offer adds value , your experience , your differences , your passions , your quirks , your strengths , your weakness and embracing them all . Then looking to the amazing women around you and supporting them to do the same !
Rachel : It ’ s about creating a mindset in which there is true equity in all things to drive inclusion , diversity and ultimately harmony amongst human beings . If things are equitable then true equality is possible .
Kim : Meeting and reaching out to women across the spectrum of tech to understand and recognise their journey and how we can remove shared barriers for all .
Laura : It means sharing your experiences , being proud of your achievements , inspiring others and supporting them in their experiences .
To find out more about Digital Wonderlab visit : www . digitalwonderlab . com Email : hello @ digitalwonderlab . com
THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2023 31